Container closure



- Sept. 3, 1940. w. ViNsoN 2,213,794 CONTAINER cLosURE Filed sept. 9, 1958 me/who@ Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,213,794 I l M CONTAINER cLosUREy William Vinson, Baltimore, t assignor Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc.,\Baltimore,

Md., a corporation of New York Application September 9, 1938 Serial No. 223,192

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a container closure and refers particularly to a closure of the type provided with a non-metallic liner secured within the skirt of the closure against the top to prevent contact of the contents of the container with the closure.

Heretofore in closures of the Mason cap type comprising a metal shell and a vitreous liner, it

has been customary to lock the liner within the skirt against the top by pressing the top portion of the skirt against the edge of the liner. While this arrangement is satisfactory to prevent contact of the contents of the container with the metal shell of the cap, it does not prevent the jar contents, dirt, or other foreign matter from entering between the liner and cap and becoming lodged behind the liner. This provides an unsanitary condition which has not heretofore been fully appreciated, primarily because the vitgg reous or opaque liner concealsany foreign matter which may penetrate between the top and liner.

Ihe present invention is designed to eliminate this objectionable condition by positioning and ...s clamping a gasket of rubber or other suitable material between the liner and the top of the cap to form a seal between the peripheral surfaces Aof the top of the cap and liner and thus prevent the entrance of foreign material 3o behind the liner. Furthermore, the liner is preferably made of transparent glass to permit thorough inspection of the cap to determine if the seal is tight or if any foreign matter has penetrated behind the liner because of an imperfect :.5 seal.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will now be more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

4; Figure 1 is an interior plan view of the closure with a portionlof the liner broken away;

Figure 2 is a section through the closure, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the closure. i

4;, Referring now to the drawing, the numeral I0 designates a closure of the Mason cap type adapted to be applied to Mason jars or the like. As in this type of cap, the present closure comprises a substantially flat top II and a depend- 50 ing threaded skirt I2 formed integral with the top. The closure is preferably formed of metal and is provided with a liner I3 of glass or other suitable non-metallic material. This liner, similar to the Mason cap type, is formed with a 55 centrally inwardly dished portion I4 and a flat circular border I5. Y The top'II is also provided with a central dished portion I6 and a flat peripheral border I1 corresponding to the border I5 of the liner.

In the usual Mason cap construction, the 5 liner is constructed of an opaque vitreous material and is secured within the skirt so that the flat peripheral portions I5 and I'I of the liner and top are in contacting relation. While this construction prevents direct contact of the con- 10 tents of the container or jar with the metal top, it does not form a tight seal between the liner and cap. Therefore, it is possible for the contents of the container and other foreign material to work past the portions I5 and I'l and 15 enter the pocket I8 formed by the dished portions I4 and I6 of the liner and top. Furthermore, since the usual Mason liner is opaque,

a cursory inspection of the cap will not reveal that any foreign matter has become lodged behind the liner.

With the present invention, this objectionable feature is overcome by providing a flat ring-like gasket of rubber or other suitable material I9 of a size to conform to the border portions I5 and 25 Il of the top and liner. This gasket is initially positioned in the cap, and the liner is then inserted so that the flat border portion I5 directly engages the gasket I9.

As will be observed, (see Figs. 2 and 3), the 30 peripheral edge 2|] of the liner is beveled, and after the liner and gasket have been inserted Within the cap, the upper portion of the skirt I2 is bent or pressed inwardly against the bevel 20 to lock the liner and gasket in operative po- 35 sition within the closure. It is to be understood that in conforming the upper portion of the skirt to bevel 20, sufficient pressure is applied to the liner to place the gasket under compression to form a tight seal between the liner and cap sufficient to prevent the penetration of foreign matter within the pocket I8.

The liner I9 is preferably formed of clear transparent glass to permit inspection of the cap to determine whether the gasket forms a complete Vseal to prevent the entrance of foreign matter within the pocket I8. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not'l limited to the use of a liner formed of transparent glass, since this additional feature is provided to facilitate inspection of the cap. As the gasket is designed to be placed under sufficient compression to form a tight seal, the liner may be formed of opaque vitreous or other suitable material.

,lt will be apparent that the present invention provides an improved construction over the usual Masonf cap and that it insures the use of a cap in which the liner not only functions to prevent contact of the contents of the container with the metal cap but also prevents penetration of the contents of the container or other foreign matter'between the liner and cap, thereby eliminating an unsanitary condition which has heretofore prevailed` in closures ofvthis type..A

' It will be understood that the inventionis not limited to the details of construction shown in the drawing and that the examples of the useA of the device which have been given do not, in-

clude all of the uses for which it is capable, and that the phraseology employed in the specication is for the purpose of description and not"` of limitation.

I claim:

A closure having an overall top and a depend-v ing substantially cylindrical integral skirt, the skirt being provided- With a circumferential porf y tion extending from the top andrbelow such porshallow downwardly opening sealing groove in the top of the cap, and a gasket of resilient material disposed in the sealing groove and eX-v tending between the opposed flat surface border portions for sealing the closure against entrance of thecontents of a container and foreign matvter between the liner and the top whereby the same is prevented from collecting and presenting an.11.nsanit ary'019.sure.v j -I l, u

. r:WILLIAMv VINSON. 

